Chapter 50
Chapter 50. A Brief Rest
【Achievement Unlocked】
【Defeated the Weakest of the Shallow Deep Sea】
[Mantra of Completion: By perfecting your own mind, you gain extreme resistance to effects such as Hive Infection, Mental Intrusion, Psychological Brainwashing, Cognitive Manipulation, Will Synchronization, and Dream Theft.]
‘Once again, not an offensive-type mantra.’
But after defeating the Hive, a mantra related to the mental domain had appeared.
‘If I had this back then, my battle with Ogh would have been a lot easier.’
At that time, I truly thought my soul would be devoured, but with this ability, I could resist mental attacks from the opponent.
Returning to the Orca Tribe with the pod, Yul immediately met Lancia along with several other orcas.
-You’ve arrived.
Several Recorders were gathered beside Lancia, engaged in a lengthy meeting.
-You’ve saved us. Perhaps you’ve even saved all the sea creatures of the Great Azure Ocean.
Lancia offered words of praise.
-Gehenna, Tuania, are they all alright?
-They can hold out for now.
-That’s a relief. And Yul, I hear you destroyed the core. I am glad you are safe.
-I was lucky. There were reinforcements as well.
Yalmuka, the spear-horn squid, seemed a bit embarrassed and looked aside. This old man is easygoing but weak to compliments.
-That’s good. The reason I called you here is that a bigger problem has arisen.
-What is it?
-After investigating from every angle, we discovered the cause of recent incidents in the Great Azure Ocean—large and small.
-…!
-It is because of the ruins from the Age of Gods. Originally, even the records were forgotten as they were buried in sediment, but several years ago, due to the battle between the Sea God and the Lord of the Abyss, those massive ruins protruded onto the surface of the continental shelf.
Yul traced back his memory and recalled briefly witnessing it.
‘A temple emitting blue light…’
According to Yul’s memory, that was the Cherenkov phenomenon—the light emitted due to radiation.
-You’re saying that temple is connected?
-You can tell by looking at the Hive's ideal marching speed. It is rare for a creature living in the Outer Ocean to come to the Great Azure Ocean. It is even more so for a powerful creature like the Hive.
At that, Gehenna responded.
-It seemed to drift on the surface, but the Hive was moving in a straight line toward the Great Azure Ocean. That much is certain.
-Our Recorders analyzed the Hive’s movements and realized it was heading directly for the ruins of the Age of Gods… This has also been confirmed by Lord Isnael of the Deep King Tribe.
It was surprising news. After that, Lancia continued speaking.
-According to Lord Isnael of the Deep King Tribe, an object called a regulator exists inside. He said that by using that object, one can trigger a bizarre phenomenon called the Heaven and Earth Resonance.
-Heaven and Earth Resonance?
Yul felt uneasy hearing the term repeatedly.
‘The first time I heard it was because it was written in the final phrase of Isnael’s stone tablet. And Ogh mentioned something about Heaven and Earth Resonance, and the Hive said the same thing.’
-He did not explain exactly what kind of phenomenon occurs, but that object called the regulator is said to be an incredible treasure of immense value. He said the Hive’s attraction was because of the regulator.
-So the Hive came because of the Regulator?
-The Regulator naturally attracts various creatures. Not just the Hive, but many others as well.
Lancia continued.
-In any case, we intend to retrieve this Regulator. If it’s the cause of all these conflicts, removing it is a priority.
-How do you plan to remove it?
When Yul asked, Lancia replied:
-We’ll send it to the Deep King Tribe. Lord Isnael has promised to dispose of it.
-Hm?
‘Huh? Something feels off.’
Yul felt a subtle unease. According to Rukit, the Deep King Tribe treats orcas like subcontractors.
If even half of that is true, is giving the Regulator to the Deep King Tribe really the right move?
At that moment, a signal came from beside Yul—it was Rukit. Since this wasn’t a place where the Parang could sleep, he couldn’t reveal himself to the other orcas, but he could warn Yul.
-Don’t trust them! It’s probably another cunning scheme.
‘Wait a moment, old man.’
Of course, Lancia, unaware of Rukit’s warning, continued:
-In any case, after the Hive was defeated, we sent messages to all forces in the Great Azure Ocean. This incident was too much for the Orca Tribe to handle alone.
-So what happened next?
-Each force agreed to send capable individuals to explore the ancient ruins. Among those of you who defeated the Hive, we also plan to accept volunteers interested in exploring the ruins of the Age of Gods.
Those words stirred excitement. Many were fired up, though some orcas had their spirits dampened by this battle, or were too injured to act immediately.
-You aren’t planning on going without me, Gehenna, right?
-Then heal your wounds quickly. I was in too much of a hurry despite those who are injured. Now, go. Exploration of the ruins of the Age of Gods isn’t something to be done right this second anyway; it is a task that will take months.
-Understood.
* * *
After that, Yul was granted an indefinite leave. Considering that Patrollers operate year-round, this was truly exceptional.
Within the Orca Tribe, Yul’s feat of defeating the Hive without a scratch had made him stand out remarkably.
The elders and other orcas were all eager to strike up a conversation with him.
Especially the Orca Warrior Corps, who valued heroic spirit above all, showed Yul extreme admiration.
Among them, surprisingly, the Ascensionists were the most fervent.
-I didn’t realize you were that strong. Won’t you come to our Ascensionist gathering and share your heroic tales?
-Ah, no thanks.
The one known as Kalsonic, leader of the Ascensionists, was particularly obsessive, trailing Yul like a relentless stalker. Yul was seriously considering leaving the Orca village altogether.
He hadn’t seen Tuania yet. When he asked Lancia, he learned that Tuania had left temporarily after healing her injuries at the Healing Spring to continue her training.
-Already?
-The Healing Spring is excellent for restoring the body. And have you ever seen Tuania fight?
-No… when I went, the first battle had already ended…
The Hive had been significantly weakened when it fought Yul, having first clashed with Gehenna and the Warrior Corps at full strength.
-That girl relentlessly pursues strength. Ever since Nugh died, she seems to think any time spent talking to others is wasted. She won’t listen even if Nemore speaks.
Nemore is Nugh’s widow. Yul had briefly met her during the pod life. Now that Nugh is dead, Nemore would be the head of that pod.
-Hm… she’s always been stubborn. At this rate, even if I go, I won’t be able to change her mind.
-I see…
-I’m also planning to leave the village for a while. Too many people are being overly persistent.
-Ah, I heard. Kalsonic has been pestering you relentlessly.
-Pestering? Heh. That’s more like obsession, or madness.
Because of that stalker, it had become routine for Yul to activate the Mantra of Illusion while moving around.
-Anyway, I’ll leave the village for a few months and then return. If necessary, have the Patrollers use the Mantra of Communication for me.
-You’ll probably have a few months before the expedition sets out. To reach the ruins of the Age of Gods, you’ll need a Turusain exploration vessel.
-A Turusain exploration vessel?
-Yes. One is stored in the Turtle Kingdom. It will block the “malevolent light” emitted by the ruins of the Age of Gods.
-Oh? Really?
A vessel that blocks radiation? Does it even have shielding capabilities?
* * *
Soon, the port of Frangia came into view.
“You’ve returned alive. That’s a relief.”
-Yeah.
“You even tore off the ropes and the triangular sail. I truly thought you were dead.”
The Le Céleste had taken enough damage to make self-navigation impossible, but Yul had carried it on his back and used the Horn of the Sea King to deliver it home in an instant.
-Once this voyage ends, take a good rest.
“Yes. That’s the plan. Just thinking about that massive creature…”
-You’re going to report to the Sun King, right?
“Actually, I was about to ask. May I relay the information I received from the shipowner to the Sun King?”
-Go ahead.
The information was bound to be known anyway. Trying to silence all the crew was impossible, and even if they kept quiet on board, once they reached land, there’d be no stopping them.
Yul had already anticipated that such a situation might arise when he first saved the ship.
-For now, stop sailing and perform maintenance. I have a feeling something important will happen.
“Understood. I’ll do that.”
Heaven and Earth Resonance… Whatever it was, it was clearly no ordinary event.
Without delay, Yul headed straight for Skillg Brigg Island. As soon as the lighthouse appeared in the distance, he called out:
-Ian! I’m here!
-Ah, you’ve arrived!
Ian and Yul were fellow mages. Through the formula “Transmission of Thoughts”, they could converse even from a distance—a convenience that made communication easier than with Marchand.
If Marchand hadn’t had a loud voice, Yul might not have heard him even on the ship’s side.
-But… what’s going on? Why are there so many people?
The island was suddenly crowded with houses he hadn’t seen before. It seemed new structures had sprung up on this abandoned island.
A strange sight.
-Hmm. Somehow, I’ve become quite famous.
-Hmm??
-Shall we meet by the usual cave first?
-Alright.
Whatever had happened, Ian seemed to have been busy as well.
Yul noticed that the underwater cave had been modified to make it easier for him to enter.
-Oh, this is nice. It’s comfortable here. Did you do this?
“Luckily, I had my disciples handle it.”
-Disciples?
“Well… in your absence, I completed seven new formulas.”
-What!?
Yul had just reached the point to learn the next step of the fourth stage, “Devourment”, which was the fifth stage, “Assimilation”. And Ian had already learned two more formulas in the meantime?
-How… how did that happen? Did you take some kind of medicine? How are you so fast?
“Hmm. That is...”
Ian hesitated, uncharacteristic for him. Normally, Ian hid nothing, so Yul immediately sensed this was unusual.
-If you’re not ready to tell me now, it’s fine.
“No. Yul, you are my precious comrade, so you should know. You are aware that I have been continuously performing celestial observations, right?”
-That telescope, right? Was it the Patapata Phi or something?
“Ahem. It is the Pathah Shile. Anyway, the more I observed, the more I was continuously exposed to a certain inspiration, and my skills skyrocketed.”
-……And its effect on you?
“None.”
-Is that even possible?
“Strange, isn’t it? I think it’s because the moment I see it, I ‘forget’ it.”
-Forget?
“Yes. In the short term, it gives me incredible inspiration, but I immediately forget the memory. The more I observed the moon, the stronger this effect became.”
-Isn’t that dangerous?
“Yes. That’s why, after completing the seventh formula, I gave up celestial observation.”
A mage, standing before the truth and yet stopping, Ian’s willpower was impressive.
-But how does that relate to becoming famous?
“That, you see…”